)()()()()()(
It would take Bella three days to wake up.
And Erika was getting stir-crazy within the first seven hours.
Erika passed Renesme off to Rosalie, not being maternal enough to look after a child for long periods of time, and left the Cullen residence. It really didn't matter to her that Bella was more or less dead to the world for the time being.
After Erika's little stunt with her manipulation and copycat ability, the Volturi Vampires were a little wary around her. Ananias was the only one acting normal, even Marcus seemed to keep his distance. It set her nerves off, knowing her mate was uncomfortable around her but she didn't care. She did exactly what she needed to.
After two days of that, barely getting more than a sentence at a time from him, she had enough. She wasn't going to deal with the silent treatment if she didn't have to. She wasn't going to come back groveling.
She had done that before, with Leroy.
She refused to do that ever again.
She knew there was danger in going out clubbing when UCOM was looking for her, but she didn't particularly care. If no one was going to listen to her here, she'd find someone else. It wasn't as if she was going out to fuck, she just wanted some time where no one knew her and their opinions didn't matter. She didn't care if she was looked at while there.
Erika came out of her room in her tightest black jeans, a lacy maroon bralette and combat boots. The Volturi V necklace was perfectly nestled at her cleavage, showing off just enough for her liking. She was careful enough to still wear it, especially with the way Marcus looked at her after going into the main area of the house to inform him she was leaving.
His dark eyes raked over her body, a hunger newly conjured came into his eyes as he swallowed. She was proud that she was the one to cause that.
"Erika?"
"Hmm?" She looked up, flicking her curled pearl hair back to reveal eyes lined darkly and lashes added for an alluring effect, which he quite felt at the sight of her in any way. "What?"
"Why are you dressed like that?" He asked plainly.
"Oh," Ananias sounded excited, looking up at her. "We going out? Drinks or clubbing?"
"I'm going clubbing. Alone." She emphasised, grabbing her phone and checking it. "I need some time to unwind without Vampires constantly around me. And no, I don't care about UCOM at the moment. Ducissa is gonna be in my shadow anyway, aren't you darling?"
Ducissa purred loudly, curling around her feet before disappearing into her shadow. The weight of her settled in Erika's shoulders, reminding her she wasn't alone.
"I'll be fine," She put her phone in her back pocket before flashing them a sharp smile, "Don't wait up."
She left before they could even reply, and when Marcus went to the door to try and stop her, she had disappeared. Almost like a shadow, once there and then gone.
He had to find her.
)()()()()()(
It didn't take long for her to get into the nightclub, grabbing a drink from the bar, something strong, something that could make her forget. She finished it, ordered a cocktail, sat at one of the booths to finish drinking it in peace before she felt the calmness that alcohol brought her.
The nightclub sprung to life when she strutted to the dance floor. She needed the movement, the sway, the way to rid herself of consuming energy. The hued lights intensified, beams pouring down as she stepped to the music. It became louder, almost deafening. She wanted to dance, everyone else wanted to dance as a result.
Two dancers, both beautiful women, approached her to dance. Their hands were on her hips, asking if she wanted to dance with them. She did, leaning into one of them as she felt their hands roam innocently as they danced.
Both Human, but beautiful enough.
After a minute, she slowly stepped away, joining a man. They danced this way, swayed that way, all eyes were on those two as Erika felt a hot breath on her neck, then the sudden heat of a tongue and kiss on her jaw.
It felt so wrong.
Her skin crawled in disgust.
She tore herself away in an instant. She couldn't do that, not when it made her stomach fold upon itself and her chest ache like her heart hurt. She forced a smile, easily slinking away like a snake to the bar to get another drink. Maybe the feeling would go away if she drank some more.
After two Malibu and lemonades, three fireball shots, and a tequila shot, she still felt it. It really didn't matter how much she drank and threw up in the dark club toilet after, she still felt it.
The deep ache of a bond wavering didn't help her stop being sick. She threw up as much as possible before washing out her mouth at the sink. She took one good look at herself and decided it was time to call it a night. Even her makeup wasn't able to hide the quickly growing bags under her eyes.
She left the bathroom, getting out of the club and onto the streets before she debated. Should she call Marcus? Or maybe one of the guards instead?
She took her phone out, contemplating before putting a number in.
"I feel stupid for calling," She admitted. "But can you come and pick me up? I don't feel well and I'm tired."
"Of course," Markus replied, his tone undetectable. "Just supply the address and I will be there as soon as possible."
She was waiting across the street from the club, knowing she was in full view of the cameras at the entrance.
The nagging feeling was still at the back of her mind, something telling her to be careful. She didn't know where this was coming from but she heeded its warning as she waited. She was being watched by something but she didn't know what. Not yet.
Ducissa was in her shadow, warning her when a hand came to grab at her arm. She jolted as the cold hand touched her, trying to pull her away from the cameras and succeeding. It pulled her into the alleyway, crushing her against the nearest dark wall before she could react.
The creature had its hands on her throat, and she could feel the way it tried to take something from her. It pulled something out of her very being, taking it forcefully but it refused to be given away.
It was trying to take her Magic.
The creature was a young man. He couldn't have been older than her but the rage in his eyes was something new. It was jealousy and greed, letting it consume his very being.
Erika didn't know what to do. She tried to push his hands off her but his grip was tight and her throat was closing up quickly. He was trying to strangle her, kill her to take her Magic.
She couldn't let him do that. Ducissa clawed at his legs and he hissed in pain, the momentary lapse of attention was enough for Erika to react.
She shoved him hard, her hands on his shoulders as her own Magic reacted.
He was forced off her, and shoved into the other wall as Erika felt his pain. She didn't care.
No one was going to take her Magic.
No one would take her control.
Not again.
He spat out blood as she clenched her fists by her sides. Bringing up her arms, she crossed them over her chest before forcing them apart, and the man screamed in anguish. Cuts appeared on his neck, sliced through with her Magic as her anger came through in waves.
"Erika!" Markus' voice came through the shroud of anger in her mind. She let it consume her instead of her own rage, the one that wanted to destroy everything, and his rage calmed her down almost instantly.
Markus appeared in the alleyway, and then he was by her side, eyes a brilliant red. His lips pulled back in a silent sneer at the now bleeding-out man.
"I'm fine," she comforted him, grabbing his hand before he lifted it up to look at it.
Her hands weren't the normal colour of her skin. Her fingertips were tainted black with her Magic, looking like tendrils working down her fingers. As she willed it, the darkness faded from her skin and returned to her colour within seconds.
"What did he do?" he asked, turning fully to her. Even though his bloodlust was overrunning his system, his need to protect was a deep scar in his very being, his need to comfort her was completely overshadowing everything else.
"He tried to take my Magic," she glared at the one who attacked her. "I felt him try to drain it out of me. He tried to kill me for it so I did the service of sending it back to him."
"If only Aro was here, we would find out," he held her hand still.
Erika thought for a second, "Let me try something."
She walked over to the struggling man. He was trying to heal his wounds but her Magic worked harder than his. It was more powerful, she knew, and she wanted to see if her trick would work.
She crouched and touched his exposed arm, concentrating before feeling the overwhelming support of her unconsummated bond with Aro flare to life.
She saw everything.
"Just kill him," she said, standing back up and turning her back to the man. "I know everything. Someone sent him to kill me. It was through a third party so he doesn't know who it was but it was someone rich and powerful. Definitely a Witch, by his knowledge."
"Are you sure?" Markus tried not to gulp. "The treaty with the Shifters will be broken."
"It won't. You killed him because he tried to kill me," she smiled. "It's still the truth, isn't it? I can tell you're hungry."
He nodded, kissing the side of her temple and telling her not to look.
She didn't listen, turning to watch the savage act of a Vampire descending on their prey. He was not a victim. He brought this upon himself and Erika was delighted in his easy death by the hands of her mate.
When Markus noticed that she was watching, he turned so he was facing her, fangs buried deep in the man's throat without ever taking his blood red eyes off her beauty. She looked like a dark angel in the shadows of the alleyway, smiling softly at him.
A truely unafraid creature smiled at him.
There was no fear, no disgust, nothing to hide for her not to be afraid. She took him as he was, in all his lethal, bloodthirsty glory.
He would have her in any way she let him, no more than she ever would allow.
He would have her in all ways she let him.
When Marcus was finished, he wiped his mouth clean, having made it a clean and easy job.
She held a hand out and announced, with a grumble, "I'm cold. I want to go home."
Home.
Home.
That was what she was.
Home.
)()()()()()(
Not even an hour later, Marcus sat on the bed, dressed in louse layers and leaning back with a book in his hands as he flicked through it at a vampiric speed.
He glanced up just as Erika came in. He could already sense the dark turmoil in his mate, the hot anger and rage under her skin, alongside the deep unsatisfactory sadness in her movements. She was still tired, mentally and physically, as she came over. She had taken a shower and did what she needed before coming to bed.
Marcus moved one of the pillows, enough so it sat under his elbow if he lifted it up enough.
She didn't even have to ask, quickly laying on the bed with her head on the pillow but almost on his lap. She wanted to be near him after everything that happened.
He worked his fingers through her hair, scraping gently against her scalp.
He had to refrain from smiling as she yawned and wiggled into the pillow more. When he got to a good part, she sighed and just sunk into the pillow and his lap.
Marcus would never stop her from falling asleep near him, not even when Ananias came into the room to check on her and snorted at the sight of Erika draping herself halfway across his lap with a pillow and her arm stretched to hold his wrist.
Her grip was loose but warm, and very much welcome.
Her Magic was almost taken from her.
She needed uninterrupted sleep after tonight.
)()()()()()(
With Bella's awakening, and the reveal of Renesmes's human half, Erika could return to Italy. She just wanted her sister alive, even if she was a Vampire.
Returning to Italy was an easy trip, only two days after her attack.
When she returned to the castle, however, it was a different story.
She walked into the throne room, barely letting a greeting out before finding her two other mates right in front of her. She squeaked in shock at their movements, seeming faster than usual.
Aro raised a hand to her jaw, knowing his gift was useless at the moment but simply wanting to touch her.
"I'm fine," she insisted but let him touch her. She let a few glimpses go through to him. "See? I'm all good."
"Are you certain?" he asked, staring intently at her. "You killed a man, Erika. It might have not been fully by your hand, but still."
She rolled her eyes, "I voted to kill the other guy and that didn't faze me. Nor will this."
"We felt the bond quake," Caius said, smirking from the side.
"Erika watched me feed," Markis said calmly.
"Oh?" Caius' eyebrows flew up. "And how did she take it?"
Markus tried not to smile, walking over to his seat, "She told me she was cold and wanted to go home, of course."
This time, Caius rolled his eyes. He looked to her. "Are you truly alright?"
"Right as rain," she scratched her head. "I might have…kinda…used Alec's gift against him and the rest of the guard."
Markus gave her a look, "And against myself."
She tried not to smile, "And against Markus."
"Oh, do show me," Aro raised a hand but held back. "Do you wish me to see Markus' side, or yours, or neither?"
"You can see both," she shrugged, giving him her hand. He hummed and shook his head. He looked at Markus' memories after.
"And you used my gift against the Witch too," Aro nodded to himself. "Your gift is becoming stronger."
"It only worked for a few moments but that was all I needed," she said, taking her seat and relaxing at the table. "I've not been able to use it since. Maybe it's like a burst of energy or something. Once I use it, I have to be near the person it came from to use it again."
"Perhaps," he said then changed the subject. "We will be having guests today. Though, I presume they'll be here shortly."
"Who is it, Aro?" Markus sighed, already knowing about the games Aro liked to play.
The doors opened and two forms zipped in. In an instant, Aro was in front of Erika's chair, waving a finger at the two new people suddenly appearing.
One pouted playfully, beautiful blonde hair cascading over her shoulders.
Then the beautiful brunette came over to hug Aro gently.
A tug of territorial instinct came over Erika and she knew exactly where it came from. As much as she, sometimes, regretted it, these were her men.
She pushed it down and smiled politely at the new Vampire women. She already knew who these women were, so she remained sitting. She didn't have to stand for people who were, putting it nicely, below her in the Vampire hierarchy, even if she was not one herself yet.
Sulpicia had the bouncing dark curls and Athenodora had rivets of blond hair cascading down her shoulders. They were ever the beautiful women, and if Erika was unattached, as much as she couldn't be with a matebond and now three mates, she would have slept with the women herself.
Sulpicia looked around Aro's protective stance and smiled, "This must be the woman."
"Erika Swan," she said.
"Mistress Erika," Sulpicia greeted with the bow of the head. "I am Sulpicia and this is my mate, Athenodora."
Athenodora bowed her head with a curl of the lips, "So you're the woman who has entrapped them."
Erika knew she meant it as a compliment but trapped still had bad connotation for her.
"How do you deal with them?" Athenodora rolled ruby eyes. "I couldn't deal with one, let alone three. Apologies, dear Caius."
Then, Erika smirked, relaxing in her stance as she realised they weren't threats to anything she had with the kings. It wasn't even that she knew she wanted to stay with them. It was the possibility of something, a bond which she didn't feel suffocated in.
"I've had worse," she said plainly before standing. "As much as I'd love to discuss the perills of men—don't give me that look, Aro. The flight between America and here is long as fuck and my bed is calling my name. How long will you be staying?"
"A week," Athenodora said. "If that is acceptable, Mistress Erika?"
"Of course. I'll see you all tomorrow,"
Erika left the throne room. A bath was due before bed and she welcomed it.